After a declared Donald Trump victory in the 2016 U.S. Elections, many students are apparently struggling to cope with post-election outcomes. Reports of anxiety, stress and absences are supposedly increasing among students. So, what have schools across America been doing to help the kids?
Protests, walkouts, bullying, intimidation and harassment are just some of the scenarios students are experiencing post-election. People have expressed being scared of a Donald Trump victory because there are certain individuals who could use this as a justification for mistreating others due to what transpired in the election.
Kavitha Cardoza, an education correspondent, believes that teachers are the "oasis of calm for the children" in these stressful times and regardless of anyone's political leanings, according to PBS. She cited that teachers have already been dealing with the stressful emotions during the campaign season as some kids absorb their parents' election anxiety.
Educator Mariana Richards confirmed in the same news report that they have sent letters to parents detailing links for support. In other words, their school is making it a point to work with the students' families to help them cope with post-election outcomes. She also notes that some families really just want to move forward and put these all behind them.
At Boston, public schools are going to facilitate counseling for its students as well as the teachers in the coming days. Superintended Tommy Chang announced the service via an open letter posted on the Boston Public School official site.
@BostonSchools Students, we you. You are intelligent & beautiful. We are here for you today & always. Please share your feelings today.
— Tommy Chang (@SuptChang) November 9, 2016
Superintendent Bert L'Homme of Durham Public Schools posted a message on behalf of his school community on its Facebook page about guidance counseling as well. Many of its students are from multicultural families, ABC 11 reports.
Group meetings have been arranged among concerned students in several Tennessee schools, especially among multicultural students and staff. Colleges like Stanford, Columbia and USC have also extended open forums and meetings with affected individuals. This initiative has the consent of the school heads, according to the New York Times.
American schools are being proactive in their response to post-election outcomes among students. Learn more about what other schools are doing, which involve therapy with dogs, arts and crafts activities and other ingenious ways of coping with stress in the video below.
